Niecy Nash’s infectious personality and versatile acting skills have landed her fruitful roles in an already long and successful career.

From playing the ever-so-serious, yet side-splittingly hilarious Deputy Raineesha Williams on Comedy Central’s Reno 911, to hosting the reality TV show Clean House, Niecy has dabbled in just about every genre of entertainment.

Now, her acting career has begun to imitate real life in her new role on The Soul Man, alongside funnyman Cedric the Entertainer. The show, which premieres tonight, revolves around R&B superstar-turned-minister Reverend Boyce “The Voice” Ballentine, (played by Cedric) who is trying to give up the industry high life to get right with the Lord.

Turns out that this story isn’t too far from some things Niecy has experienced in her personal life; she reveals that her first marriage was to an R&B singer-turned-pastor!

Check out our exclusive interview with the lovely Niecy Nash in the video above.

Be sure to check out the premiere of her show The Soul Man tonight at 10 pm ET on TV Land.

With the proliferation of single-camera comedies like Modern Family and 30 Rock, many of today’s television stars don’t have to deal with the added pressure of performing in front of a live studio audience.

But veterans Niecy Nash and Cedric the Entertainer thrive on it. On the set of TV Land’s new comedy The Soul Man, Niecy, Cedric and the rest of the cast tell us what it’s like to shoot scenes in front of a live audience that’s less than fifty feet away.

“The thrill is unparalleled,” says Jazz RayeCole, who plays Cedric’s daughter Lyric on the series. Despite the throwback format of the show, there’s no canned laughter for this cast!

‘The Soul Man’ stars, Niecy Nash and Cedric the Entertainer, aim to show real Black love on new show. Interview by Tracy Scott

Niecy Nash and Cedric the Entertainer star in one of the few new TV sitcoms featuring a majority Black cast, “The Soul Man.”

“There were quite a few shows some years ago. Then there was a void, and now with Tyler Perry and all the wonderful work they’re doing at BET — and now TV Land — we’re making a comeback, and I’m happy to be a part of it,” Niecy told S2S. She’s particularly excited about one aspect of Black life that will be portrayed on her series.

“You will see Black love on camera,” said Niecy, who has been married to Jay Tucker for a little more than a year. “I am happy to show Black love on television. A lot of what we see right now is so harsh, especially in the realm of reality shows. So, I’m happy that in my real life, I can give people a snapshot of it, and I’m happy that this wife I’m playing with Cedric…we really do try to portray a couple that loves each other, and I think that it’s good for our kids to see.”

While “The Soul Man” shows a loving marriage and strong family unit, Cedric recognizes that there’s room for all sorts of Black series on the TV landscape. Variety keeps the “Meet the Browns” viewers satisfied as well as the “Reed Between the Lines” fans.

“I’m very comfortable with the world that’s going on right now where there are more TV shows where there are predominantly African-American casts with different stories,” said Cedric. “These stories don’t have to necessarily agree with you and we can show that this exists and that exists.”

Few would argue that having more African-American stars on TV in any form is a problem. However, are shows like “Common Law” and “Person of Interest,” which star just one or two Black actors in the cast, a sign that series focusing on minority life are dying out? Not necessarily, according to Cedric.

“That works just as well,” Cedric said. “Those images are very important that show us as individuals. We’re not always the community. For us to have the opportunity as actors and actresses to play those kinds of roles, you have to applaud just the opportunity. So, I’m with it.”

Do Niecy and Cedric feel an obligation to represent churchgoers well? Find out in the September 2012 issue of Sister 2 Sister.

Niecy Nash is pretty darn adorable on TV Land’s The Soul Man. She plays Cedric the Entertainer’s wife, and the two of them are so delightful, so full of love and hugs, that I just want to sit between them on the couch watching movies.

Of course, Niecy’s been delighting us as far back as Reno 911!, so it’s no surprise that her obsessions are so awesome.

My current obsession is: Kevyn Aucion Bronzers

The first celeb I was ever obsessed with was: Billy Dee Williams

And the star I’m currently obsessed with is: Don Cheadle

The movie I can recite every word of is: The Long Kiss Goodnight and The Color Purple

The book I make everyone read is: The 5 Love Languages by Dr. Gary Chapman

My musical obsession is: Beyonce

When I get on the Internet, the first thing I do is: Log onto Twitter (you can follow me @NiecyNash)

The thing I’m most obsessed with about my hometown, Los Angeles, is: The beach. I don’t like to go to it, but I love being near it.

My weirdest Hollywood moment so far was the time: In one day I got mistaken for three different actresses: Wendy Williams, Sherri Shepherd, and Star Jones. [Editor's note: In what world do Wendy Williams and Star Jones look anything alike???]

My secret obsession is: The TV show The First 48 and pajamas. I LOVE PAJAMAS!

‘The Soul Man’ on TV Land is a comedy that keeps it light. Cedric the Entertainer stars as a former R&B star who becomes a preacher.By Mary McNamara, Los Angeles Times Television Critic

Like “Hot in Cleveland,”the show from whence it sprung, TV Land’s new comedy “The Soul Man” is positioning itself to be retro-cool — a backlash against the high-concept, sardonic and/or emotionally strung-out comedies that have become so ubiquitous that “Nurse Jackie” is considered, technically, funny.

Instead of three middle-aged women finding peace and occasionally wisdom once they abandon L.A. for Cleveland, “The Soul Man” sends former R&B star Boyce “The Voice”Ballentine (Cedric the Entertainer) back to his roots in St. Louis where he trades music videos for a pulpit and takes over as the reverend of his father’s church.

Also making the transition from celebrity to a life of service are his wife, Lolli (Niecy Nash), and teen daughter, Lyric (Jazz Raycole).

Without the benefit of their own personal epiphanies, Lolli and Lyric are having a tougher time adjusting to life as the preacher’s family, though it’s not all that easy for Boyce either. Though retired, Boyce’s father Barton (John Beasley) still wants to run things, and not everyone’s buying the newly sanctified Boyce, especially younger brother Stamps (Wesley Jonathan), who is, rather predictably, a smart-mouthed slacker.

Indeed there are many things that are predictable about “The Soul Man.” Created by Cedric and “Hot in Cleveland’s” Suzanne Martin, it serves up Lolli’s feistiness, Lyric’s sassiness, nosy church ladies with big hats and hair issues, and early story arcs that too patly run conflict, crisis, reconciliation, wisdom gained. (It is also filmed in front of an audience, which means a lot of irritating laughter.)

But it is a funny and charming show nonetheless — and not just because Boyce is a big and obvious fan of my alma mater, the University of Missouri Columbia (go Tigers!). Cedric is a charismatic yet soothing presence, quite believable in this role.

Boyce and Lolli appear to have a marriage that is recognizable as an actual marriage rather than an expository excuse for jokes about sex, nagging and how-can-you-not-know-where-the-oil-gauge-is. As the resident geriatric know-it-all, Beasley has the toughest job, but he’s a pro and gives Barton just enough pride and humility to keep things fluid.

It’s also nice to see a show that revolves around a house of worship, albeit nondenominational and following a catechism that appears to be based more on uplifting music than actual scripture. In the first two episodes, Boyce must help parishioners handle death and alcoholism and in each case, the writing wobbles a bit between humor and disrespect.

Though it never quite hits its stride, the show never pitches us into the abyss. “The Soul Man” is about a star trying to become a vessel, which is in direct opposition to most comedies. If anything close to that actually plays out here, it might just start a revolution.

Double Agent Grandma

Niecy Tries to Hook Up Her Mom

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